Interview with Sigung Kelly Corder - Kajukenbo

Sigung Kelly Corder is a 7th degree black belt in Kajukenbo. He runs Kajukeno Arizona, a successful MMA school, in Arizona. He continues to develop his skills by learning new martial arts styles and training with some of the best MMA fighters in the world. He has earned a Pit Black Belt from John Hackleman and is currently training to receive his black belt in BJJ. He has been requested to teach seminar not only all over the United States but in multiple countries as well.

Sigung Kelly Corder Breaking a "ton" of bricks

Brandon: You teach Kajukenbo. On your site, you say this is like street Karate. Why is this different than Classroom Karate?

Kelly: Kajukenbo was formed as a street defense system.  Each black belt brought their techniques and they were examined for real world application.  Basically, they took the best and threw away the rest.  One example is the use of wrist locks and other small joint maneuvers.  Perhaps a larger defender can "muscle" an opponent down but smaller, older students need sure fire ways to beat anyone of any size.

Brandon: I understand you started training with regular Kenpo than you started learning Hawaiian Kenpo. What are the differences?

Kelly: Kajukenbo quite simply offered more. Kenpo is a huge part of what Kajukenbo is about. However, adding Judo, Jiu Jitsu, Kung Fu and Karate makes it very well-rounded.

Brandon: Congratulations on your achievement of becoming a seventh degree black belt. What does it take to move through each black belt level.

Kelly: I am under Grandmaster George Lim. His requirements include time and dedication to Kajukenbo and our Ohana and representing Kaju as our founders expected. I also recently received my PIT Black Belt Level One under Kumu John Hackleman. For him, it is about technique, time and physical ability.

Brandon: Walk us through what a first year student can expect under your training.

Kelly: Our classes are multi-level so a beginner will work with all levels.  We recommend training twice a week for material retention and fitness.  A new student can expect with diligent attendance and practice, to achieve the level of orange belt or orange/purple. The student can also expect to gain confidence in pushing themselves outside their comfort zones, be able to begin to defend themselves and also be more physically fit and generally happier.

Brandon: Tell us about your training experience with Chuck Liddell. Did you learn anything?

Kelly: Chuck is an amazing fighter and huge part of the PIT. He is a soft-spoken, loyal man. So, he practices what he preaches. He has demonstrated to me that with determination and dedication, anything is possible.  (Check out his book for more insight on Chuck).

Brandon: Can you tell us about your visit to Portugal?

Kelly: It's always an honor to be asked to teach in Portugal.  The Portuguese people are so giving and appreciative of all they receive.  I love going to not only spend time with them teaching my style but learning what they have to offer.  It's an action packed 3-4 days but totally worth it!

Brandon: What three goals do you hope to accomplish in the next 10 years in Martial Arts?

Kelly: I plan to open more schools to share my passion of Kajukenbo with more people in Arizona.  I intend to continue learning and to earn my BJJ Black Belt.  I will continue to support my mentors and instructors to the best of my ability and honor my Kaju lineage.

Brandon: Is there anything else you would like to tell our readers?

Kelly: Martial arts can and will improve all areas of your life.  Kajukenbo has done that for me and I will be forever grateful for the opportunity to share Kaju with my family, friends and Ohana.

Interview with Sean Fagan The Muay Thai Guy

Sean Fagan is an Amateur Muay Thai fighter who is looking to turn pro this year. He fights at 145 lbs and is currently 11-3 with 5 KO’s. He is currently on a 7 fight winning streak and won a championship title at Muay Thai at the Mecca 2 in New York City.

Muay Thai

Brandon: What's your favorite thing about the culture of Muay Thai and why?

Sean: I love the mutual respect of everyone who trains in the art. Whether it's training partners or competitors, there is always a show of class and respect between the two which lack from many other sports. Not to mention since Muay Thai is rooted deep in Thai culture it is full of numerous Thai traditions and ceremonies that make the sport that much more interesting and unique.

Brandon: What are 3 uncommonly known facts about Muay Thai?

Sean:  1) Muay Thai is not kickboxing. It is a form of kickboxing that utilizes more techniques than kickboxing does such as the clinch, elbows and sweeps.

2) Muay Thai is a way to make a living in Thailand. People commonly misunderstand that Thai boxers in Thailand are celebrities and well off because they fight so much, but it is quite the contrary. Only the elite really make a good living while the other lower level fighters can fight multiple times a month and still only have enough to pay for food and shelter. Also for young Thai children whose families can't afford a living, Muay Thai gyms will claim ownership of the children and train them so they can make money for the gym and their family.

3) Most people don't know the 'why' of the traditions and ceremonies behind Muay Thai. It's important to know the reasoning behind the ram muay, wai kru, mongkon, prajioud and other elements of Muay Thai. I wrote a whole page about the traditions and culture of Muay Thai here;
http://www.muay-thai-guy.com/traditional-muay-thai.html

Brandon: Describe the proper way to throw an over hand punch. What happens if you do it right vs. doing it wrong?

Sean:  Ah my favorite strike! The way I explain it to most people is that it's basically like throwing a pitch for baseball except without the whole wind-up. A lot of people (including myself) really overthrow and power up for this strike when in reality accuracy and timing is the most important aspect of almost any strike. If you do it wrong your opponent will see it coming a mile away and you'll gas yourself out quickly!


Brandon: What are the 3 most important things you learned about Muay Thai while training in Thailand besides the 5 things you listed never to do on your site? Why are these important?

Sean:  One was the culture behind the sport and how to perform the ceremonial dance, the ram muay wai kru, before my first fight. Secondly was the mutual respect everyone had for each other whether it's a complete beginner, a seasoned champion or an experienced trainer. And lastly is how Muay Thai is a way of life in Thailand.

Brandon: What was the lowest point of your career? How did you overcome it?

Sean:  I can recall two low points. One was after I fought twice in a week I tore a ligament in my thumb which sidelined me for a bit. It's not like it was the worst injury in the world but I kept making excuses not to train and not to continue improving when I knew I could be focusing on different aspects of my game. It was pretty frustrating because I knew subconsciously I was just being a little bitch.

The other one was my second trip to Thailand. I had planned on staying there for 4+ months but got extremely home sick even though I was pursuing my passion and doing something that I knew many people would kill to do. I hated feeling sorry for myself and wanting to go home, but after my only fight there about a month in (I won by KO), I flew home to take care of some things at home that I left open-ended before I left for Thailand. It ended up being a great decision because I found an awesome instructor job that opened a lot of new doors to my fighting career.

Brandon: You mentioned about going pro. What is the hardest thing about going pro besides having the skills and talent?

Sean: I think it's just the overall mindset. Once you go pro, you're fighting the best of the best. If you're not confident in your skills to fight someone who is going to give you a tough fight, then you're not ready to go pro. Also as a professional you have to treat it like your job and make sure you never skip out on training, eat a healthy diet and do everything you can to make sure you're one step ahead of your competition.

Brandon: Is there anything else you would like to tell our readers?

Sean: Just to follow your passion and live your dreams regardless of what they are. Life is too short to have regrets and chances are you'll regret the things you don't do rather than the things you do. I encourage you to follow along as I pursue my dreams at www.muay-thai-guy.com in hopes to inspire others to pursue theirs. Other than that I'd just like to thank my fans for being so supportive and awesome as well as my girlfriend, Liz, my family and my friends... without all of you this journey would be meaningless! Thank you for the interview!


Brandon: Thank you Sean for taking the time out of your busy training schedule. We look forward to seeing pro in the near future.

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Results from Saturday's MMA Tournament

Brandon participated in a 3 school tournament on 2/16/13. All three schools have tournaments coming up and the leadership felt this would be a great trail run for the students. It was a good size turn out. Unfortunately, it was mostly for the younger kids.

Brandon performed Nan Quan 2 for his Kung Fu form. There was no one else there at his age level for forms. So, he won by default. One of the issues he did encounter was space to properly do the form. This tournament took place in a gym and the only place to do it was inside an Octagon; not the best place for a Wushu Form. However, he was able to adapt and did receive a nice scoring.

Brandon also received first from point sparring. He faced 3 other opponents. He won with scores of 6-0, 5-0, and 6-1. Brandon can be very quick and usually blocks well.

Then Brandon participated in continuous sparring which he likes the best. This has been the first time he was able to do continuous sparring at a tournament. Unfortunately, it did not go as expected. I was not there, but I’ll explain from what I’ve been told.

**Before I explain this event, let me state this was the first get together from the 3 different schools and there was a little bit of miscommunication with took place on how things should be done for the continuous sparring.**

There was only one other person who wanted to do continuous sparring. He was 16 years old with some MMA training. He also wore MMA gloves and not the type worn at our sparring sessions.  Most people would agree that the MMA gloves are better suited for damage over regular class sparing gloves. Brandon has been taught not to hit in the face during sparring. Brown belts and above are able to contact with the face. From our side, it looked like the kid had only practiced punching to the face.  So, with all the advantages going to his opponent; gear, age, height, weight, and rules to fight by, Brandon did not do to well.

I was told the first round had some good back and forth to it. However, by the time the second round came up, Brandon wasn’t able to deal with the constant face punches. The instructors informed him he couldn’t punch to the face anymore to try and make it more sporting. However, the opponent struck him in the face again which ended up being a more devastating blow to the eye.

They disqualified Brandon’s opponent at that point and told Brandon he got first.

However, both Brandon and I, realize Brandon’s opponent was probably saying WTF? What do you mean no hitting to the face? What do you mean my gloves give me an advantage? What kind of sparring is this?

We wish it could have ended another way. The positive side of this match was Brandon realizing the importance of blocking face contact. This may be a duh moment for most people but he’s been trained with no face contact up to this point. Brandon is a true competitor. So, he’s asked his instructor to help learn about fighting at the next level as the other kid was. Brandon’s instructor has agreed to help modify instruction after this coming tournament.

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Interview with Christy Thomas BJJ

Christy Thomas is the first female black belt in Relson Gracie’s Organization. Relson Gracie is credited for helping develop Gracie or "Brazilian" Jiu Jitsu. BJJ is arguably the most popular martial art style in the last 20 years.

Brandon: Since Royce Gracie won 3 of the 4 first UFC tournaments, Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu has really taken off. Why did you choose to learn BJJ over everything else and why would you recommend it over other systems?

Christy: Frankly, I got into this martial art/sport/lifestyle due to my boyfriend (at the time) and his involvement. A short time after getting into the classes, I was hooked. It was the practicality and the fact that you can see, learn, and then apply. You can find out what you can or cannot do and fix or better your technique. I recommend Gracie Jiu-Jitsu, hands down for the function, effectiveness and ease in which someone can get into it and absorb information. Since the application is immediate and with an instructor and peers present to assist, the fear factor and rigidity is removed from the learning environment. 

Brandon: We know true Martial Artists respect your achievement for becoming the first female Black Belt in Relson Gracie’s organization. Have you been discriminated against for owning a Jiu-Jitsu school by others?

Christy: Well, let’s just say - not to my face. I don’t know if anyone has any issue with me being a female and running a school that I own and am the primary instructor. In my honest opinion, I would think someone weak for thinking that way and pity them for the hardships they must face in life otherwise.

Brandon: How would you deal with this if it came to your attention?

Christy: If this issue were brought to my attention, I'd most likely feel sorry for someone's insecurity or assumption of my potential but ultimately I'd have to respect their decision.

Brandon: You mentioned you have had to use Jiu-Jitsu in real life before. How do you size up an unknown opponent?

Christy: I don’t necessarily think I size anyone up & they are not automatically less dangerous from lack of size. If a person wants to initiate any type of control or attack, it doesn't matter the sex or size. It’s already a self-defense situation no matter what the issue may be.

Brandon: Let’s say someone is looking for a Gracie affiliated school. How can they find one in their area?

Christy: These days, the internet is the best option. I have a lot of students who travel and ask the same thing. We try to go to our own association and when we can’t we look for the best option. I would use Google first and type in BJJ and your locale, FaceBook is fine too since so many people have place pages now. Relson has his associations listed on www.RelsonGracie.com

Brandon: If they can’t find one, how can they determine which school is best?

Christy: What I suggest is to figure out (by asking or on their website) who is the actual top tier instructor of any organization. You can then research them and their affiliates and credentials, etc. You can also ask someone higher ranked or well traveled what their opinion of someone may be. There are frauds so the best bet is to ask questions until you are satisfied. If the answers to your questions don’t come or if things get weird, move on.

Brandon: Do you plan on competing in additional tournaments in the future?

Christy: I love competing and I will most likely do many tournaments in the future.

Brandon: How do you decide which ones are worth your time and money?

Christy: I see tournaments as a sporting event. There are risks/dangers and there are events that want to be extreme to seem cool and get people excited. I look for quality events and I prefer the ones without a money prize.

Brandon: Is there anything else you would like to tell our readers?

Christy: It's my opinion that Gracie Jiu-Jitsu is the best empty handed street self-defense system available. It’s a fantastic idea to get yourself, family and friends into. We accommodate all ages, sizes & experience levels.

Thank you for taking the time to answer our questions. We look forward to following your career at http://www.facebook.com/christy.thomas.3956

Saturday Night Kempo Surprise.

Tonight, Brandon was in luck. We had a guest student come by and give him some good sparring sessions. The student is a girl trained in some kind of Kempo. I believe she’s 14 and has a black belt. She is currently cross-training into other styles of Martial Arts.

It was nice to see Brandon spar against someone of his age with more experience. I wish he had the chance to do this more often. The whole thing was exciting to watch. I thought Brandon did extremely well against her.

This particular class gave us a better understanding of Brandon’s strong and weak points. I hope she becomes a regular student. There is also a possibility her father, which is also a black belt, might do some sparring with him. Quality training! This is could be some exciting stuff.

Unfortunately, there isn’t any video. I’m not sure if there will be any in the future either. I did bring it up but either they didn’t understand, hear, or care for the idea of being on video. Hopefully, if they stick around they’ll allow some video footage. I don’t shoot anyone in Brandon’s videos without their permission.

We’ll keep you updated.

I wasn’t too familiar with Kempo myself. So, I supplied a video for anyone else in the same boat.

Just 2 more weeks till Brandon test for his Red belt. That’s one below Brown in this ranking system.

Interview with Guy Mezger

We are excited to bring you an email interview with Guy Mezger, winner of UFC 13 Light Heavyweight Tournament. He’s volunteered some of his precious time to answer some questions from my son Brandon. 

 Guy Mezger Highlights

Brandon: You have a background in Karate, Kickboxing and Boxing. Which of these did you find the most helpful in UFC fighting and why?

Guy: Actually my background was in wrestling first.  I wrestled as a kid thru college and started karate when I was 14.  I basically did karate & wrestling until I turned pro at age 20.  Wrestling is by far one of the main disciplines of MMA. You are not going to go far without wrestling training. Then I would say for me, boxing / kickboxing was the next important.  It’s kind of hard to say because I also trained & competed in Judo along w/ kickboxing.  Later I trained catch wrestling and Braziilain jujitsu. (I trained with some of the great catch wrestlers of Japan.)

Brandon: Who was the toughest opponent you ever beat? What was your strategy to defeat them? 

Guy: Beating the legendary Masa Funakai was my best win. My strategy for beating him was to out- smart him and out work him.  I, also, kept the fight standing; thanks to my superior wrestling ability. I also beat him up pretty badly with kicks and punches.  

Brandon: What is the difference between people training for the UFC vs. main stream martial arts classes?

Guy: Intensity level of pro fighters is the main difference and usually the UFC/pro fighters have more skills 

Brandon:  What was your training schedule like when you were preparing for a fight?

Guy: It was tough.  8:00 boxing/kickboxing training…12:00 or 1:00 was grappling…6:00 strength & conditioning 

Brandon: You run a very successful MMA school in Dallas called Guy Mezger's Combat Sport Club. What makes your school different than everyone else’s?

Guy: I have brought together the very best trainers from various displines.  My coaches are not just a judo coach or a kickboxing coach etc., they are the best judo coach or the best kickboxing coach.  I do my best to create an atmosphere of unity, intensity and leadership by example at all levels regardless if you are a pro or beginner.  

Brandon: Can you tell us who your number one mentor has been in your MMA career? What are 3 things you learned from him?

Guy: Billye Jack Jackson (my coach for over 15 yrs), 1) He taught me that good character was more important than winning (& all real winners had good character); 2) Hard work is not a talking point but any action point.  You are either willing to train like the champ or you are not.  The results speak for themselves. 3) Be grateful for the blessings you receive.

Brandon:  What was your mindset before your very first fight? How did you overcome any nervousness?

Guy:  For my first fight I was a wreck mentally & I am not sure if I ever really overcame being nervous.  I just went out there and took care of business.  I became more relaxed with each fight.  

Thank you for conduction this question and answer session with us Guy. You made a terrific impression on us by your quick response time and willingness to help with Brandon’s goals. We wish you good fortune with your future endeavors. 

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